The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of lily-of-the-Nile grown for use as an ornamental for container, landscape or cut flowers. The new cultivar is known botanically as Agapanthus africanus and will hereinafter be referred to as ‘White Heaven’.
‘White Heaven’ is a chance seedling that was discovered by the inventor in a cultivated area of Roelofarendsveen, The Netherlands in 1998. ‘White Heaven’ was discovered as an individual chance seedling in an established block of unknown cultivars of Agapanthus africanus being grown for the purpose of cut flower production. ‘White Heaven’ was selected, by the inventor, for the unique trait of large flower heads with 70-80 white flowers per inflorescence.
The new variety ‘White Heaven’ is a chance hybrid that resulted from the open pollination of unknown cultivars of Agapanthus grown from bulbs in a cultivated area of The Netherlands. The female parent is presumed to be an unknown cultivar of Agapanthus africanus and the male parent is presumed to be an unknown cultivar of Agapanthus africanus. The unique trait that distinguishes ‘White Heaven’ from the parent plants, is the size of the flower head, which is 150% larger than the closest comparison plant Agapanthus africanus ‘Albus’ (unpatented).
‘White Heaven’ is an herbaceous perennial, exhibiting an upright clumping growth habit, large white flower heads and green foliage. The size of the flower head, distinguishes ‘White Heaven’ from all other existing Agapanthus known to the inventor.
‘White Heaven’ was first asexually propagated in 1999 in a cultivated area of Roeloforendsveen, The Netherlands by the inventor. The method used for asexual propagation was division. Since that time under careful observation, successive generations have been determined stable and true to type. Asexual propagation can also be accomplished using the method of tissue culture.
The Inventor filed on May 28, 1999 Application Number 1999/0781 for a grant of European Community Plant Breeder's Rights. Application was granted on Mar. 5, 2001 (Grant Number 7,376). The Inventor has been engaged in the build-up of stock, by division, solely at Inventor's own nursery. No plants of ‘White Heaven’ have been sold or otherwise distributed from the Inventor's nursery prior to May 13, 2003.